Reckless Driving on Illinois Roadways

Reckless driving in Illinois has become a topic of concern for state transportation officials. According to reports from the Illinois Department of Transportation, 1,090 people lost their lives in fatal car accidents in the state during 2017. The number of fatalities has steadily increased each year since 2014. Thousands more were seriously injured in car accidents across the state during that time as well.

Reckless Driving in Illinois

Reckless driving has been cited for many serious and fatal car accidents in Illinois.  Reckless driving occurs when a vehicle operator willfully and knowingly chooses to drive in a manner that can result in serious risk to themselves and others on the road. These behaviors include:

• Speeding: Cars traveling above the mandated speed limit put themselves and everyone on the road at an increased risk for a car accident. High speed accidents often result in fatal injuries to the innocent victims involved in the accident. Speeding accidents frequently involve vehicles that leave the roadway, flip over, collide with trees and other stationary objects, and cross medians that result in head-on collisions.
• Distracted Driving: The number of distracted driving fatalities has surpassed the number of drunk driving fatal accidents that happen each year in the United States. Distracted driving behaviors include texting, cell phone usage, onboard infotainment systems, eating and drinking, and distractions from other passengers in the vehicle. Distracted drivers fatally injured over 3,000 people in Illinois last year.
• Driving under the influence: While the number of fatalities resulting from drunk driving have decreased over the last decade, people continue to suffer fatal injuries each year in Illinois as a result of a drunk driver or those driving under the influence of prescription and non-prescription drugs or marijuana. While legislators across the country continue to battle the opioid epidemic in the country, these numbers are expected to climb.
• Failure to wear seatbelts: Seatbelts save lives and those that fail to wear them suffer the tragic results. Close to 300 people that were fatally injured in Illinois car accidents in 2017 were not wearing seatbelts. Fatal injuries result in car accidents when people are ejected from the car, are thrust through the windshield, or are otherwise crushed between metal because they were not properly restrained.

Illinois Law Enforcement and Department of Transportation Plea

Illinois Department of Transportation officials and law enforcement officers are pleading with drivers across the state to practice safe driving. In just the past month, three fatal car wrecks happened in the span of three days in one Illinois county alone. Police department officials estimate that more than 50 percent of Illinois drivers drive recklessly, and they are pleading with everyone to slow down, stop tailgating, and wear their seatbelt. More stringent enforcement of drunk driving, distracted driving, and speeding laws will go into effect in 2019 to drive home the message.

St. Clair County Car Accident Lawyers at The Cates Law Firm, LLC Help Victims of Car Accidents Claim Compensation

If you or someone you know was injured in a car accident, you may be entitled to compensation. Call the St. Clair County car accident lawyers at The Cates Law Firm, LLC at 618-277-3644, or contact us online to schedule a free consultation today.  Located in Swansea, Illinois, we serve clients in Edwardsville, St. Clair County, and Belleville.